Policy makers, government officials and industry senior officials from
all 10 ASEAN member countries have gathered in Vientiane, Laos, for a
workshop on Development of Safety Regulations for Electrical
Electronic Equipment.
The October 28-29 workshop was part of the
capacity development programme organised by the ASEAN Integration
Support by the European Union project (ARISE).
It supported
the initiatives of the Joint Sectoral Committee on Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (JSC EEE), a product working group under the ASEAN
Consultative Committee of Standards and Quality. The JSC EEE has
developed a mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) for this sector and is
now overseeing the implementation of a harmonised regulatory regime.
The
event provided an opportunity for the participants to discuss with the
experts how they can comply with EEE MRA and implement EEE regulations.
The
ASEAN EEE MRA, signed by ASEAN Trade Ministers in 2002, was developed
to facilitate the elimination of technical barriers to and enhance trade
of EEE in the region. The objective of the MRA is to permit
participating member states to accept test reports and certifications
issued by listed testing laboratories and certification bodies in ASEAN
member states. This avoids duplication and results in cost saving.-VNA